Sitting at the Truth + Beauty Spa in Roslyn Heights last night I was taken by complete surprise by the unassuming, sincere and down to Earth nature of Long Island’s newest TV reality celebrity Cori Goldfarb. The Reality TV star of Bravo’s newest Reality experiment Secrets and Wives which showcases several life long friends living on Long Island’s Gold Coast. The show premiered in June and the big finale is tonight.

We were assembled at Truth + Beauty to celebrate the shows finale which will air tonight on Bravo at 10:01 pm. Even if you never watched the show you would have been easily taken in by this charming entrepreneur who, when all the chairs were occupied, popped a squat on the floor.

Cori completely at home chatting with guests while in the floor.

She was extremely easy to talk to and we shared stories about our children and discussed how a mother is really only as happy as her unhappiest child. Her daughter, who was just as sweet and sincere as her mother discussed the trials of dealing with her mother’s newfound celebrity. In the end she is extremely supportive of her mother and it was evident how close the two are.

Cori and her daughter

If tonight’s finale garners big ratings it will hopefully lead to a second season of Secrets and Wives. The show is definitely worth the watch and comes complete with Long Island accents & attitudes. Of course there is plenty of drama and a good mix of funny and bawdy behaviors which is the recipe for a hit reality show. Tonight’s finale revolves around cast member Liza Sandler who is throwing herself a big blown out moving party. It proves to be quite the shindig and Liza is extremely hands-on with her party especially when it comes to dessert.

Not sure if I am hungry anymore…

As a proud Long Islander I am definitley going to watch the show tonight. Why should we let Beverly Hills and New Jersey get all the attention. We have plenty of well-to-do kooky housewives here too. I mean come on we can show up Jersey can’t we? Watch tonight!

Today my family lost its center. My grandmother passed away at the age of 97. We were extremely fortunate to have had her a part of our lives for so long. She touched us all and played a major role in all our lives. To my grandmother family always came first and it just won’t be the same without her. I remember as a child wishing my grandma would live until I was 40. In my young mind 40 seemed like an age where I would feel like an adult and be able to deal with such loss. Little did I know that at 42 I am still not a grown up and at any age loss is never easy to deal with. She lived a wonderful life and in her honor today I am reposting what I wrote for her birthday 3 years ago.

An undated picture of my grandmother, she must be 2 or 3 in this photo

My Grandma was too cute!

I love my Grandma, she is the best. She is an extraordinary woman. 94 year’s old it is just amazing. I am exhausted at 39 I can’t imagine 94!

Grandma Catherine

It is hard to appreciate just how much the world has changed since she was born. Women didn’t even have the right to vote. Our world today barely resembles the one she grew up in. Her world was one without ipads, computers, telephones, cell phones, internet, or television sets. All of the things we deem necessities and consistently use on a daily basis simply did not exist. Admit it you shuddered a little of the thought of no tv and no cell phone. Come on I am not the only one addicted to my cell phone.

The amount of technology and the rapid pace that the world has advanced must seem mind boggling to a person who has lived through it all.

Life has radically changed since 1918. Forget inventions and technology think about the history she has lived through. Two World Wars, The Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, The Space Race, the Moon Landing, the Kennedy Assassination, the Civil Rights Movement, The Cold War, The Korean War and Vietnam, and countless other historic events. Better than any history book is an afternoon with Grandma.

The key to her longevity is flexibility. Although, she didn’t always agree with the direction the world was going in she always took it in stride. A lesson we could all benefit from.

My whole life my grandmother was an integral part of my life. She visited every week and took us shopping, walked us to school on the first day every year. Every important event of my life my grandmother was always there giving her love and support. There were countless sleep overs at her house and many walks to the local convenience store to get comic books.

And of course it goes without saying I am her absolute favorite of the 8 great-grandchildren!

Today she lives with my mother and my children benefit from seeing her everyday. It teaches my children that it is important to respect and care for their elders. A good lesson I hope they remember.

When I get home from work it always gives me a smile to see Grandma watching Power Rangers and Dora with my 4 year old. They are so lucky that they have a great-grandmother who is with it and who they enjoy spending time with.

They are so fortunate that she has been by their sides, just as she was for me, at all of the important events in their young lives. I am sure one day they will look back on their childhoods and be so grateful for the time they had with her.

As the air gets warmer and the flowers start to bloom things kick into high gear in my house. As much as I long all winter for the warm weather I do sometimes miss the quieter slower times during the winter.

Spring activities bloom like the flowers and we are suddenly being pulled in a thousand different directions. When this happens occasionally things get missed. I am not proud to admit but we have missed a few events here and there and even once missed a Parent/Teacher conference. Nothing new here we are just too busy, like every other family.

Calendars definitely help keep you organized, and I am a big fan of the School District calendar hanging on the fridge. I am such a techie person you might think I would love an electronic calendar but I just can’t seem to make them work. I like a real calendar that I can write on and hang in the kitchen.

The basic problem with a regular wall calendar is that it is just too small. With three kids it’s almost like I need a calendar for each of them. The solution I have found is the Post-It Notes Weekly Calendar. This has been the key to organizing our family.